Serving

Wash Them Anyway

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So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. John 13:4-5 NLT

“Anymore dirty dishes?” my wife often asks, rolling her eyes after closing the dishwasher, walking away from the sink, and then spotting my forgotten coffee cup in the office. Her tone tells me, that she doesn’t mind so much doing the dishes as she just wishes they could be finally done for the night! That is a bit like the washing of feet was for people in Jesus’ day. While the other three gospels detail the institution of communion at the Last Supper, John gives us the story of what happened next. And while, depending on our faith community, we take communion once a day, once a week or even a month, washing feet, like washing the dishes is a something that is a constant chore. Think of the world of Jesus’ day, with horses, donkeys, and sheep wandering the city streets, and it doesn’t take much imagination to know what people’s feet looked and smelled like. Leaving their sandals at the door that night definitely helped, but the bare feet of the disciples certainly couldn’t have been squeaky clean. Maybe as they had come into the upper room that night, they wondered who should wash their feet. Luke’s gospel tells us that they argued over who was the most important, so it is easy to see why no one wanted to wash anyone’s feet. At the end of the meal, when Jesus disappeared into a side room for a moment, nobody noticed, until He suddenly appeared in the doorway, with a towel wrapped around his waist and a basin of water in his hands. Next, he knelt, and, one by one, began to wash their feet. The same men who had gladly received the bread that Jesus had broken and drank the cup He had blessed were shocked as Jesus humbly washed the grime from their feet and then dried them with a towel. After Jesus finished, he stood up and said,

“If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” John 13:14

Though our world is vastly different from theirs, feet still get dirty and washing them is still menial and seemingly pointless because feet just get dirty again! But Jesus tells us, “I did it so you can do it too!” When dirty feet show up at our doorstep, again and again, we may sigh, like my wife does at finding my forgotten coffee cups, but Jesus calls us to just go get a basin and towel and wash them anyway!

Jesus the Volunteer (The service entrance)

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Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:6-7 NIV

The key to successful volunteering, is to follow the example of Jesus. The Bible tells us that though Jesus was in very nature God, worshipped by angels and seated next to the Father, that He set aside His position and privileges and volunteered to be made a servant. How Jesus came, reminds me of when I worked on the estate of a very wealthy woman. Her mansion was set on the top of a small hill at the end of a long driveway. In front was a field once used by her horses as a pasture and behind were several acres of woods. Facing the main parking area for the house was a large impressive white door with columns on either side. But we who worked on the property had another entrance tucked away behind some bushes on the side. That entrance led to a small green house, a break room and a set of stairs leading up to the kitchen. Just over that doorway was a small sign with the words, “Service Entrance.” While guests gained entry through a much finer looking door, they needed to have an appointment. On arrival, they often were greeted by the housekeeper with a large guard dog (named George) who sat quietly as long as she was nearby. Only after carefully checking the visitors, did she usher them into the living room, where they waited for the lady of the house.

The same two entrances are in every human heart. There is a formal entrance in the front, but to gain entry, an appointment is required, and visitors are carefully checked over before being welcomed. But the other doorway is the doorway that Jesus chose: “The Service Entrance.” If we want to reach hearts as volunteers, let’s follow His example and come as servants. Only trusted servants may enter by the service entrance, and though it is humble, it has a stairway that leads directly to the heart!

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com

Chosen to Serve Tables

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Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, Acts 6:3-4 ESV

If you hadn’t read the beginning of this chapter you might think that these guys were being selected to be missionaries, teachers of theology or pastors of large churches. But in fact, they were picked to serve food at the tables of widows. They were in charge of a first century “Meals on wheels”!  We rarely stop to think that ministry is so mundane and unspiritual. But the early church considered feeding widows and supplying the needs of the poor as the front-line duties of the leadership. When these so-called “unspiritual duties” were neglected by the apostles, the entire church began to complain. Notice they didn’t complain about the lack of sermons or the rarity of miracles. They got mad because no one went to feed the elderly widows. The church felt that the most important ministry was to act as the family to the widow and as mothers and fathers for orphans.

When we are ready to help with for the most needed ministry in our local church, we just might be amazed to see what happens next!

Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem…Acts 6:7